S Korean fans bid farewell to internet-famous panda Fu Bao

Seoul (AFP) April 3, 2024

Thousands of well-wishers gathered Wednesday to bid farewell to the first giant panda born in South Korea, Fu Bao, who left for China in a high-tech non-vibrating vehicle typically used for transporting semi-conductors. Beijing has long used "panda diplomacy" as a form of soft power, and Fu Bao's parents - Ai Bao and Le Bao - were gifted to South Korea in 2016 by Chinese President Xi Jinpi